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Do you know where you're headed this fall? Have you made plans for what you'd like to accomplish for your weight loss, health, and fitness? Or are you going to sit back and let life lead you rather than you lead your life?

That's what I would have done a couple of years ago. I liked the familiar. I liked coming home at the end of the work day and eating myself into a numbing coma. I enjoyed watching television show after television show and eating and eating. I laughed through the comedies, worried along with the characters of the dramas... got up to get something more to eat and then plopped back down on the couch to do nothing but enjoy myself.

The reality of my situation was that I was killing myself. I was numbing myself to life by overeating and allowing myself to become morbidly obese. The continued eating of high sugar, high fat foods truly numbed my emotions to the point where - at the end of the evening - it was an effort to climb the stairs to fall into bed.

That wasn't 'the good life'. I pretended that it was. I pretended I was happy. But - deep down within me - I was miserable. My health was deteriorating. My happiness - true happiness - was non-existent. I was suffocating within my own self-imposed walls of fat. And I wasn't motivated to do anything about it.

And then something within me changed. I decided I was worth the effort and I wanted to live the rest of my life as a truly happy and healthy person. I realized that to be HAPPY, I first needed to get healthy. I started to listen to audio tapes about reinforcing positive behavior, positive energy and the power of attracting good things with positive actions. I began to believe I could change my life and got up off the couch and - in the privacy of my own living room - began to move more. Then I ventured outside and began to walk around the block, and then the high school track, and then a half mile, and then a mile, and then a 5k charity walk.

I had given myself a tremendous GIFT. I'd unwrapped within me the gift of believing in myself and reclaiming my health.

For the next 90 days I'm going back to basics. Ninety days from today is Christmas. I'm going to give myself the best gift I can imagine: the gift of wellness. I plan to lose 25 lbs. and hit my goal weight in December. I've been slacking for months and months and am ashamed of myself. That disappointment all changed on Saturday when I went to the gym and 'got back at it'.

So what is the 90 Day Challenge?

I would love you to join me on the next 90 days and reclaim whatever it is that YOU have let slide or set aside, too. Is it your weight loss goal? Your fitness routine? Your promise to yourself to go to the gym three times a week? To stop overeating or drinking too much? You know what it is... you're probably saying silently what that goal is as you read this.

I don't need to know your goal if you don't want to share it. But you need to write down your goal somewhere that you will see it everyday... preferably first thing in the morning and throughout your day. Place a calendar reminder in your auto-calendar on your phone or laptop and have a "reminder" come up daily that motivates you to keep at your goal... "eyes on the prize" as the saying goes.

Only join this 3 month challenge if you're truly committed because we're going to keep one another accountable. I need someone to get in my face on Twitter and Facebook and here and say "how many miles did you walk this week?" or "how many lbs. have you lost so far?" and badger me 'til I tell you! Hey, I need accountability, too, and expect that if I'm supporting you, you'll be there to support me! :)

This time the challenge is accompanied by some very cool incentives!

Besides the fact that by committing to yourself your own weight loss or fitness/wellness goal you will feel proud of yourself, if you are the challenger who checks in the most the first 14 days (either here or on Facebook or Twitter), you're going to receive the top of the line Conair Weight Watchers glass body analysis scale.* It is so incredibly cool!

If you are in the challenge and are actively checking in and posting and have decided to start walking outdoors or begin a new outdoor activity (think canoeing, biking, hiking, golf, running, etc.), you'll be entered in the gift set of Eucerin products for Everyday Body and Everyday Face lotion.

If you're going to stop eating junk food and are trying to eat healthier and are posting during the next 90 days often about how you're doing, you'll possibly win one of three cookbooks to keep you motivated and help with new recipes and changes you're making.

But, friends, the biggest, BEST gift that you will receive, is the gift of your own self-esteem and self-discipline. You will be able to look at yourself and say "I'm worth it. I'm doing this for me! I'm accomplishing my goals!" and mean it. You won't feel that old feeling of lying to yourself that everything is great when you can barely pull yourself up off the floor, when you have to buy another size bigger clothes when you swore to yourself you'd never get past the size you're in now... you'll really push yourself out the door to run that 2 mile loop at 6:30am.

So here are the details in condensed form:

1. In Comments here, on Twitter, or to my HealthyLoser Gal Facebook page, tell me that you are IN the #hlgFitGift 90 Day Challenge. Use the #hlgFitGift hashtag on Twitter.

2. Somewhere, preferably on paper where you can tape it to your frig or bathroom mirror or somewhere you can't miss it, you're going to write the weight loss, fitness or wellness goal you're going to challenge yourself to achieve in the next 90 days. (i.e., I'm writing "I'm losing 10 lbs. in October, 10 lbs. in November and 5 lbs. in December. I'm walking 5x weekly. I'm not eating after 8pm nightly.")

3. You check in as often as you can (I'll be going for every other day here, daily on Twitter) and support other people in the challenge. If you need help, you ask for it! :)

4. You commit to exercise in some way for at least 10 minutes a day 4x a week every week of the challenge. That is easy-peasy, friends! Everyone - no matter your fitness level - can squeeze in 10 minutes 4x a week.

5. You drink a lot of water and be kind to yourself! Develop a POSITIVE mantra about how you can do whatever you set your mind to accomplish! :)

6. You're honest to yourself and other challengers about how you're doing. If you fall off five times and begin again six times during this challenge, you're still in it! It isn't about how many times you fall down, it is about how many times you get back up and continue! ; )

I know where I'm headed the next 90 days... I've got goals written down and I'm going for them full throttle! I hope you'll join me in the Fit Gift Challenge!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

*If there is a tie on who is checking in most often, I will do the random number prize selection.

Girl I am so in! I too would like to set my goal at 25lbs, that would put me in ONE-derland! I have backslid over the past months and even gained weight back! How heartbreaking is that? I didn't know what the challenge was last night but because of it I got up off the couch (was about to fall asleep) & put on my walking shoes and walked my street twice! It's time I did something for me & it's time I took care of me instead of everyone around me! They're all adults now and it's MY time!

I was so mad when I got home last night, 3 adults there and I had to come home & cook, clean & feed the dogs! Usually I shut down but not anymore! I'm using that energy for good! I AM WORTH IT!

I love this challenge! I actually recommitted myself last week :) I have been writing in my fitbook almost everyday. I am right here with you though because the fitbook is a 12 week book. I have to set goals every week. Last week was my goals were drink water everyday, get to the gym 2 days and walk the dog 3 days. My dog walks are 3 miles. My actual for the week was 1 day at the gym and 4 dog walks, so not quite what I had planned but I got more walking in. My 12 week goal is 20 lbs. This weeks goals are 3 Brita bottles of water a day, 3 dog walks and 2 times to the gym. I got stitches on my knee yesterday so I am really going to have to push the walks and gym but I did not want to go backwards. Everyday my goal is to eat healthy and drink water which can be accomplished without walking but I am still going to try. Good Luck with your goals and if you need someone to keep you accountable I am here:)

I didn't introduce myself...duh. I had lost 38#(with many more to go), but gained 15# back from the emotional eating involved in my mother's surgery, extended stay in the CICU(where I stayed in a hotel 900 miles from home) and having to be the one to disconnect the respirator. I need to get a grip on the fact that food will not fix things, and that cardio issues are a BIG DEAL. I'm 52, and the medical implications are starting to show up.

JoAnn, so excited to meet you and have you join in the challenge. I'm 53 so we can't use our age as an excuse, we just need to KNOW we can win this weight loss game and go for it! I hear you about the emotional eating - that is a struggle of mine, too!

Soooo darn excited to welcome everyone to the Gift of Fitness & Health 90 Day Challenge! We're going to ROCK these next few months and see the New Year so proud of ourselves and what we've accomplished! Feel free to grab the 90 Day Challenger button for your own FB page or blog. :)

Up and ready to go(though we are having MORE rain in New Jersey...the LAST thing we need here). I got on the scale, and let's just say it's not pretty. Anyone else just about die, when you're watching a football game and they show the players...BIG guys with necks the size of your thigh, and they weigh about the same as you do?! Off to work(short day due to Rosh Hashana), with my chicken breast, red pepper strips and orange lunch, and my Chobani and WW Cheese Stick snacks. Making steel-cut oats with blueberries and walnuts now. Have a blessed day ladies!! <><

Hi! I recently joined Nutrisystem so that I can learn how to eat healthier. I also started exercising again last week. So far I've exercised every day for close to an hour and I feel great! This challenge is just what I need to help me stay on track and follow my goals through the holidays. Thanks!

Great day so far...I drove into work JUST as 3 consecutive flash floods started...made it thru safely(the people behind me, not so much). I was the only one to make it in to work, so got to do THREE jobs for the price of one(3 staff dental office). AND I DIDN'T EAT FROM FRUSTRATION!! Didn't stop till 4, so I stopped at Panera after checking the website. Soup/sandwich Upick2 with apple. Here's what I went thru this morning http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/rain_causes_flooding_traffic_p.html

Just thrilled with everyone joining in the challenge and all the enthusiasm we have for the next 90 days where we'll see little changes yield big results! We can DO THIS ladies as we commit to ourselves and our goals! :) Please find the other post where you can check in during Week 1 to let everyone know how you're doing!

Checking in! I need to go grocery shopping, but right now, I have a big bag of Steamfresh Green Beans that I plan on eating throughout the day, along with peanut butter, oatmeal, lean meats and so on.

My knee feels a little better today, so I plan on taking a walk in the park during my lunch. That's about 30-35 minutes of activity. Plus, I now have a set of weights, and my bike pedals under my desk...gotta keep moving!